This invention relates to dock technology and more particularly to dock technology that permits the formation of dock structures having minimal or no edge projecting support hardware that could cause damage to water craft or injury to people. Key aspects of the invention include a new dock support bracket and the manner of its use.
Dock structures of the invention are generally those of the type that are installed in the spring and dismantled in the fall before winter freezing of the lake.
A serious problem with existing dock structures designed for lake use is projection of support hardware outwardly from edges of the dock. The projecting hardware can damage water craft and injure people. The hardware that projects is used to fix the dock in position on support posts. It is critical to have hardware for mounting the dock on support posts over water.
A common type of dock support hardware is that requiring linear sliding of the hardware from an end of a dock support post to a location along the post where the hardware is fixed for supporting the dock. Stated another way, it is bad to have dock support hardware that projects outward from the edges of a dock, and worse to have dock support hardware that cannot be mounted on a dock support post except by sliding the hardware along the dock support post from one end of it. Sliding the hardware along dock support posts requires much physical effort to lift the dock structure over the posts during installation and removal of the dock structure.
Still further, some other types of dock support hardware that don""t require loading over an end of a dock support post have more than a few parts that have to be fitted together. Thus, the user risks possible loss of parts by accidental dropping of them into the water as the hardware is assembled during the mounting of the dock on a support post. Multiple loose parts for any hardware structure present not only the risk of possible loss but also the possibility for easy erroneous arrangement by amateurs who are frequently the ones involved in lake dock installation and removal.
It is to a solution of such problems as aforementioned that this invention is directed.
This invention provides dock structures that not only have minimal or no edge projecting dock support hardware, but also dock structures that can be laterally loaded on a dock support post and fixed in position with minimal labor steps. This is made possible by the unusual dock support hardware of the invention.
The dock support hardware of this invention is a bracket that can be fabricated to have only two parts; and these parts may be so connected (as by being threaded together) that it is unnecessary to ever separate one from the other when the bracket (alone or as part of an entire dock section or module) is mounted or de-mounted on a dock support post. A significant feature of the bracket is that it is peculiarly adapted for positioning at a corner of a dock section and is designed to have dock frame beams (e.g., a header or crossbeam as well as a joist or stringer beam of the dock section) mounted to the bracket in a manner without hindrance to lateral loading of a dock support post in the bracket.
Other features of the bracket that permit the formation of the unusual docks of the invention include a central clamp of general C shape having an internal channel allowing for lateral access of at least a substantial part of a dock support post therein, plus a first beam mounting base on one side arm of the clamp, and a second beam mounting base on the other side arm of the clamp. The first and second mounting bases are for mounting dock section beams thereto. The mounting bases of the new bracket are spaced from each other by the clamp, and they are in an angular relationship to each other.
The clamp portion of the bracket has an abutment structure internally facing the channel of the clamp at a location adjacent the outer end of one side arm of the clamp. A clamping screw is mounted in the other side arm for applying pressure in an opposing relationship across the channel toward the abutment structure for the purpose of pressing a dock support post against the abutment structure and fixing the entire bracket against slippage on the dock support post.
Still other advantageous features and benefits of the invention will be evident as this description proceeds.